Enclosure having an extension member

ABSTRACT

An electronics enclosure includes a base having a mounting hole, an extension member having a matching mounting hole, and a cover having a matching mounting hole. The base, cover, and extension member are designed so that the cover is mountable to the base in a first enclosure assembly and the extension member is mountable between the base and the cover in a second enclosure assembly. The electrical enclosure can include a base member having a tongue and a cover having a groove dimensioned to mate with the tongue. The groove can have a cross-section having a full radius arc profile and have a foam-in-place gasket mounted therein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of enclosures and more specifically to the field of electrical enclosures.

BACKGROUND

[0002] Electrical enclosures are box-shaped containers used to house many different types and sizes of electrical devices and to protect the devices from varying environmental conditions.

[0003] Sometimes enclosures are molded enclosures, such as plastic, composite, and die cast enclosures. These materials require specific tooling to manufacture each size enclosure. This makes it more difficult and expensive to build varying size enclosures since the manufacturing process needs to be re-tooled for each given size of enclosure.

[0004] Moreover, enclosures are needed for varying types of conditions. For instance, some are needed to provide protection against dust, others against dripping water, other against splashing or direct water. Tooling and manufacturing different enclosures for each situation is expensive.

[0005] Accordingly, what is needed is an enclosure system which has the flexibility to be modified while retaining the low cost and design features provided by plastic, composite, and die cast enclosures.

SUMMARY

[0006] One aspect of the present invention provides an enclosure that is adapted to be modified in size in at least one overall dimension. In one embodiment, an electronics enclosure includes a base having a mounting hole, an extension member having a matching mounting hole, and a cover having a matching mounting hole. The base, cover, and extension member are designed so that the cover is mountable to the base in a first enclosure assembly and the extension member is mountable between the base and the cover in a second enclosure assembly. The matching mounting holes of the members of the enclosure allow for a single-point assembly. This simplifies both assembly and dis-assembly of the enclosure and allows a manufacturer to make a single base size with an assortment of different size extension members so that it is not necessary to retool for each size enclosure needed.

[0007] A further aspect of the present invention includes an enclosure that is adaptable for varying environmental conditions. In one embodiment, an electrical enclosure includes a base member having a tongue and a cover having a groove dimensioned to mate with the tongue. The groove has a cross-section comprising a full radius arc profile. The full radius profile allows a form-in-place foam gasket located within the groove to expand more evenly when curing, which provides an enclosure having increased protection from outside conditions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008]FIG. 1 shows an exploded view of an enclosure in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

[0009]FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of the members of the enclosure of FIG. 1 assembled into a second enclosure assembly.

[0010]FIG. 3 shows a close-up view of a corner of a base of the enclosure of FIG. 2.

[0011]FIG. 4A shows a cross-sectional view of a cover of the enclosure of FIG. 1.

[0012]FIG. 4B shows an enlarged view of the groove of the cover of FIG. 4A.

[0013]FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of a cover-to-base assembly of an enclosure according to one embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. It is understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0015]FIGS. 1 and 2 show an enclosure 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Enclosure 100 includes abase 110, an optional extension member 120, and a cover 130. These members can be assembled as shown in FIG. 1, with extension member 120 sandwiched between base 110 and cover 130. Alternatively, they can be assembled as shown in FIG. 2, where extension member 120 is omitted. Furthermore, two or more extension members 120 can be stacked upon each other to create an even larger enclosure than the assembly shown in FIG. 1.

[0016] Base 110 is a box-shaped structure having an outer wall which includes four wall sections 111 a-111 d. Wall sections 111 a-111 d define an inner space 112 which can hold electronics, electrical devices, or other equivalent items. In this embodiment, a front panel 113 is removably mounted to wall section 111 d. Panel 113 includes one or more knock-outs 114. Different panels having various knockouts can be mounted to wall section 111 d, giving a user the advantage of a flexible design choices. For instance, one, two, or four or more knockouts having a variety of sizes can be provided. Base 110 can be a plastic, composite, or die cast molded member. In other embodiments, features of the present invention can be incorporated into an enclosure having a sheet-metal base 110.

[0017] Towards the bottom of base 110, the base includes one or more surface mounting holes 115. In this embodiment, a mounting hole 115 is located on a flanged section 118 located on each corner of the base, where each wall section 111 a-111 d adjoins the adjacent wall sections 111 a-111 d. Mounting holes 115 are for mounting the enclosure to a supporting structure or surface.

[0018] Exposed on a top surface 116 of the wall of base 110 are one or more mounting holes 117. Here, four mounting holes 117 are provided, one at each corner of the base. In this embodiment, holes 117 are threaded to allow fasteners or mounting members such as screws 140 or 240 (see FIG. 2) to be attached within the holes, thus attaching cover 130 and extension member 120 to base 110. Other equivalent mounting methods and fastening techniques can be used.

[0019] In one embodiment, a tongue 119 a runs around the top edge of base 110. A matching tongue 119 b runs around the top edge of extension member 120. The bottom edges of extension member 120 and cover 130 include grooves 122 a and 122 b respectively. All the grooves and tongues have matching footprints. Accordingly, tongues 119 a and 119 b are both mateable with groove 122 b of cover 130, and tongue 119 a can mate with grooves 122 a or 122 b. This permits the interchangeable enclosure assemblies shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0020] Extension member 120 is a frame-shaped member having substantially the same perimeter shape as base 110. Extension member has four walls defining an inner space 123 which can provide space for holding electronic components that are too large to be held within space 112 of base 110. One or more extension member mounting holes 121 are provided in the corners of extension member 120. These holes 121 are dimensioned to allow screw 140 to pass therethrough. Holes 121 match the relative location of holes 117 of base 110. Extension member 120 can be a molded or die cast member such as noted above for base 110. The present system does not require the base and extension member to be the same material. Advantageously, this allows a user to use a base and extension member made of different materials if necessary.

[0021] Cover 130 includes one or more cover mounting holes 131. Cover mounting holes 131 match extension member mounting holes 121 of extension member 120 and mounting holes 117 of base 110.

[0022] Advantageously, the matching mounting holes 117, 121, and 131 of the base, extension member, and cover, respectively, provide a single-point attachment system which allows a single screw 140 to attach cover 130 and extension member 120 to base 110 at each mounting hole. Accordingly, a user can quickly add or remove an extension member from the assembly without having to perform a first step of attaching extension member to the base and then attaching a cover to the unit. To change from the assembly of FIG. 1 to the assembly of FIG. 2 a user merely needs to unscrew screws 140, remove extension member 120 from the assembly, and reattach cover 130 to base 110 using a single screw 240 at each mounting point.

[0023] In other embodiments, additional extension members can be sandwiched between the cover of the base and longer screws can be used to attach them thereto.

[0024] Accordingly, a user can purchase a base and one or more extension members separately. This allows a user to use the same base for different applications, without having to purchase a completely new enclosure. Moreover, it allows a manufacturer to only have to manufacturer a single base of a given footprint size since extension members allow the enclosure as a whole to grow. Moreover, the present design is less time consuming for assembly compared to having separate fasteners to attach the extension member to the base and then the cover to the extension member.

[0025] In one embodiment, screws 140 or 240 are retained to the cover 130 by o-rings 141 to prevent them from becoming lost or damaged. Further details of o-rings 141 will be described below.

[0026]FIG. 3 shows a close-up view of a corner of base 110 of enclosure 100. In this embodiment, tongue 119 a curves on the inside of mounting hole 117 as the tongue runs along the edge of base 110. A stand-off 302 is located proximate mounting hole 117. Stand-off 302 prevents over-tightening of either cover 130 (as in FIG. 2) or extension member 120 (as in FIG. 1) on base 110. It is noted that extension member 120 can include one or more similar stand-offs proximate mounting holes 121 to prevent over-tightening of cover 130 on the extension member.

[0027]FIG. 4A shows a cross-sectional view of cover 130, showing further details of groove 122 b. Groove 122 a of extension member 120 is similar to groove 122 b and the discussion herein applies equally to groove 122 a. In the present embodiment, groove 122 b has a depth 122D of approximately 0.20 inches and a width 122W of approximately 0.135 inches. Other embodiments provide different dimensions and the present example is not meant to be exhaustive. A gasket 402 is located within groove 122 b. Tongue 119 a fits within groove 122 b and is pressed into gasket 402 to provide sealing against outside conditions. As noted above, one or more stand-offs such as stand-off 302 can be provided to prevent over-tightening of the cover on base 110. The stand-off helps protect the gasket material by not allowing the tongue to enter fully within the groove space.

[0028] In one embodiment, gasket 402 is a foam-in-place (FIP) gasket, such as the polyurethane FIP system by H.B. Fuller Company (St. Paul, Minn.). An FIP gasket is typically applied at room temperature in a liquid state. The FIP gasket then expands and cures within the groove. In one example use, the FIP gasket within the groove mates with tongue 119 a of base 110 (or tongue 119 b of extension member 120) to provide a Type 4, 4X seal between the cover and the base.

[0029] Referring to FIG. 4B, in one embodiment groove 122 b includes a bottom surface 408 having a full round or full radius profile as defined by radius 122R. This full round surface profile defines a semi-circular arc portion 122C. Full round groove 122 b provides an optimal space for a foam-in-place gasket. The full round profile allows the FIP gasket material to expand more evenly which provides a more consistent finished gasket.

[0030] Referring again to FIG. 4A, in one embodiment a tab 404 is located on the inner side of cover 130, extending tangentially from the side of groove 122 b. A similar tab 134 can be seen at the bottom side of extension member 120 in FIG. 1. Tabs such as tab 404 can be located on one or more sides of cover 130. Tabs 404 do not need to extend across a whole side of the cover. For example, tab 404 can cover a small section of one side or the whole side. Tabs 404 and 134 provide an alignment feature to assist a user in assembling the cover and extension member on base 110. Tabs 404 (and 134) are dimensioned so that an outer surface 406 of the tab slide-fits along the inner surface of extension member 120 (or base 110). The alignment tabs are helpful since in the single point attachment system a user fastens all three members together at one time and the alignment tabs help line up the mounting holes of the three members. In some embodiments, the alignment tabs can be located on the base instead of the cover.

[0031]FIG. 5 shows a schematic, cross-sectional view of a cover-extension member-base assembly of an enclosure according to one embodiment of the present invention. Cover 130 includes one or more holes 131. Each hole 131 includes an upper counter-bore section 502 and a lower section 504 which are divided by an extending portion 506. Extending portion 506 extends within hole 131 to engage with a head 142 of screw 140 (or screw 240, if used). Mounting holes 121 of extension member 120 are smooth sided, un-threaded holes. This allows screw 140 to pass through hole 121 unimpeded. Mounting hole 117 of base 110 includes threads 117T for matingly attaching with screw 140 (or screw 240).

[0032] Referring again to cover 130, lower section 504 of hole 131 provides space for retaining o-ring 141 on screw 140 and provides space so that o-ring 141 does not slide up and down screw 140 each time the cover is removed or reinstalled. This reduces scarring of the o-ring during assembly and disassembly of an enclosure. Accordingly, the screw is held within hole 131 without being lost while it also does not cause any interference when the cover is set on a surface. For instance, when extension member 110 is removed and screw 140 is used to attach cover 130 directly to base 120 (See FIG. 2), lower section 504 of hole 131 allows screw 240 to go completely within hole 131 when the cover is set down on a flat surface. In other words, section 504 does not interfere with o-ring 141 until the lower section of screw 140 is completely enclosed within section 504.

CONCLUSION

[0033] Among other advantages, the enclosure system described herein has the flexibility to be modified while retaining the low cost and design features provided by molded and die cast enclosures. The matching mounting holes of the members of the enclosure allow for a single-point assembly. This simplifies both assembly and dis-assembly of the enclosure and allows a manufacturer to make a single base size with an assortment of different size extension members so that it is not necessary to retool for each size enclosure needed. A further aspect of the present invention includes an enclosure that is adaptable for varying environmental conditions. An example electrical enclosure includes a base member having a tongue and a cover having a groove dimensioned to mate with the tongue. The groove has a cross-section comprising a full radius arc portion. The full radius arc portion allows a foam-in-place foam gasket to expand more evenly which provides a more consistent finished gasket, which provides an enclosure having increased protection from outside conditions.

[0034] It is understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. Many other embodiments will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. The scope of the invention should, therefore, be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An electronics enclosure comprising: a base having a base mounting hole; an extension member having an extension member mounting hole which matches the base mounting hole; and a cover having a cover mounting hole which matches the base mounting hole; wherein the cover is mountable to the base in a first enclosure assembly using a first fastener which engages a portion of the cover and which fastens to the base mounting hole, and wherein the extension member is mountable to the base and the cover is mountable to the extension member in a second enclosure assembly using a second fastener which engages a portion of the cover, extends through the extension mounting hole, and fastens to the base mounting hole.
 2. The enclosure of claim 1, wherein the base includes a tongue located on an upper edge of the base and wherein the cover includes a groove, wherein the tongue mates with the groove.
 3. The enclosure of claim 2, wherein the extension member includes an extension member groove on a lower surface of the extension member which is substantially the same dimension as the groove on the cover and the extension member includes an extension member tongue on an upper surface of the extension member which has substantially the same dimension as the tongue of the base.
 4. The enclosure of claim 2, wherein the groove of the cover has a cross-section having a full radius arc profile.
 5. The enclosure of claim 4, further comprising a foam-in-place gasket located within the groove.
 6. The enclosure of claim 1, wherein the base and the extension member both include internal space for holding one or more electronic components.
 7. The enclosure of claim 1, wherein the mounting hole of the cover includes an upper section and a lower section separated by an extending portion.
 8. The enclosure of claim 1, wherein the cover includes a tab for aligning the cover with the base when the cover is mounted on the base.
 9. The enclosure of claim 8 wherein the extension member includes an extension member tab for aligning the extension member with the base when the extension member is mounted on the base.
 10. The enclosure of claim 1, wherein the base includes a stand-off located on a top surface of the base which is dimensioned to prevent the cover from being over-tightened upon the base, and wherein the extension member includes a stand-off located on a top surface of the extension member which is dimensioned to prevent the cover from being over-tightened upon the extension member.
 11. The enclosure of claim 1, wherein the base mounting hole comprises a threaded hole and the extension member mounting hole includes a non-threaded hole, wherein the fastener passes through the extension member mounting hole and fastens to the base member mounting hole in the second enclosure assembly.
 12. An electrical enclosure comprising: a base member having a wall which defines an inner space for holding electronic components, wherein at least a portion of an upper edge of the wall includes a tongue; a cover having a groove dimensioned to mate with the tongue; wherein the groove has a cross-section profile wherein a bottom surface of the groove includes a full radius arc profile.
 13. The enclosure of claim 12, further comprising foam-in-place gasket material within the groove.
 14. The enclosure of claim 12, further comprising a stand-off located on a top surface of the base to prevent the tongue from fully entering the groove when the cover is mounted on the base.
 15. The enclosure of claim 12, wherein the base includes a removable faceplate having one or more optional knock-outs in a surface thereof.
 16. The enclosure of claim 12, further comprising an extension member mountable between the cover and the base, wherein the extension member includes a top surface having a tongue thereon and a bottom surface having a groove.
 17. The enclosure of claim 16, wherein the base includes a base mounting hole, the extension member includes an extension member mounting hole which matches the base mounting hole, and the cover includes a cover mounting hole which matches the base mounting hole; wherein the cover is mountable to the base in a first enclosure assembly using a fastener located within the base mounting hole and the cover mounting hole, and wherein the extension member is mountable to the base and the cover is mountable to the extension member in a second enclosure assembly using a second fastener located within the base mounting hole, the extension member mounting hole, and the cover mounting hole.
 18. A method of assembly of an electrical enclosure, the method comprising: placing an extension member on a base and placing a cover on the extension member, wherein the extension member, the base, and the cover each include matching mounting holes which define a mounting point; and fastening the extension member between the cover and the base using a single fastening member at the mounting point.
 19. The method of claim 18, further comprising removing the extension member from the enclosure assembly and mounting the cover to the base using the same mounting point in a second enclosure assembly.
 20. The method of claim 18, further comprising placing a foam-in-place gasket within a groove in the cover, the groove having a full radius profile. 